Board Development

Over the past 15 years, the educational landscape in the U.S. has been changed significantly with the addition of approximately 5,000 charter schools. With each school, there is a newly-established board and, while board members join with good intentions, they often bring limited training in how to do their job effectively. This has been a factor in a number of recent charter school investigations and even closings.

Systematic training and professional development for charter school boards can address this issue and help to build a sense of public confidence in the institutions, which are, of course, publicly funded. Foundations has years of experience providing board training in areas including:

• Governance (areas of governance, structures, and conducting effective meetings)
• Policies (the need for policies, process for policy development, effective decision-making, and review of sample policies)
• Roles and Responsibilities of the Board (recruiting board members, retaining board members, and board self-evaluation)
• Roles and Responsibilities of and in Relation to the CEO (evaluation of the CEO, and additional organizational relationships)
• The Role of the Board in Adjudication (matters such as student expulsion and termination of staff)
• Other Important Considerations (such as "Sunshine Laws," confidentiality, strategic planning, monitoring, success factors, and barriers to success).

We have developed a "toolkit" for charter school boards, including a template of essential policies and procedures, an assessment process, an agenda and timeline for board training, and a compilation of key resources for informed decision-making that can be used to support board training and ongoing school governance.

Currently, there is genuine enthusiasm for charter schools at the federal level, along with a commitment to ensuring their quality. At Foundations, Inc. we share this enthusiasm and are prepared to partner with you in ensuring good governance and charter school success.

To learn more about Board Development, call: 888-977-5437 or email: info@foundationsinc.org